Zirconium is a steel-gray metal with a yellowish tinge. It is obtained by remelting zirconium waste, as well as ore concentrate.
Zirconium: prices, GOST, description
Designation - GOST 21907-76. It is plastic and malleable (almost like gold), corrosion-resistant, paramagnetic, heat-resistant metal. Zirconium is resistant to sea and chlorinated water, ammonia, alkalis, acids, does not lose its qualities at low and high temperatures. It is mainly used in alloy with other metals. This not only gives it unique properties, but also improves manufacturability. Cost - from 5500 rubles per kilogram, depending on the brand and manufacturer.
Currently, zirconium belongs to gems. In the Middle Ages, it was called the brother of the diamond, but it lacks the hardness inherent in diamonds.
Geology
Zirconium is a metal that is literally scattered in ore deposits in various parts of the world. It occurs in the form of s alts, amorphous oxides and single crystals, as in the USA (in North Carolina). Crystals weighing a kilogram are periodically found in the deposits of Nigeria. The richest deposits are located in Australia, South Africa, India andNorth America.
Zirconium (a metal) is often found in ore along with hafnium, which is closest to it in properties. In Russia, its natural reserves are estimated at 10% of the world's. This metal was first isolated in the form of dioxide in 1799 by Klaproth (a German chemist) from the mineral zircon. It is smelted from enriched ore concentrate, in which the content of zirconium dioxide is 60-65%.
Zirconium (metal): application
Alloys of the substance in question are used in various industries: aircraft and rocket building, nuclear power, foundry, instrument making, military production.
Due to the increased resistance to various media, he found application in medical prosthetics, the creation of surgical instruments. In this area, zirconium was able to overtake titanium, since its stability is eternal.
Jewellery
Zirconium (metal) has been used in jewelry for a long time. Anodized material is able to acquire any shade, thereby providing ample opportunities for the embodiment of bold artistic ideas. If you want something unusual and original, you need to pay attention to various zirconia jewelry. Such products are elegant and interesting for their completeness. Because of this, they are highly valued in the global market.
Healing properties
It should be noted that its direct biological effect on the human body has not been found, although in certain areas it is very importantzirconium. The metal, the healing properties of which are described in this article, began to be used in medicine due to its special chemical and physical properties:
- used for the manufacture of tools, as it is completely neutral to the effects of acids, alkalis, ammonia, water;
- stimulates the rapid healing of wounds, while preventing the formation of pus and the penetration of infections, since it has an antimicrobial effect;
- considered an excellent antiseptic;
- relieves allergic reactions without being an allergen itself;
- radiation does not pass through.
The plasticity of this metal makes it possible to preserve the structure of bones during the most complex fractures, while they grow together faster. Zirconium (a metal) has also been used to make threads for seams.
Products with it can have a healing effect on hypertension, skin ailments, arthritis and arthrosis, although this has not yet been confirmed by official medicine.
Zirconium is actively used in orthopedic prosthetics and dentistry. Most metal alloys cause side effects and allergies in the mouth. Zirconium is absolutely resistant to corrosion and neutral to various media. At the same time, he himself does not irritate the tissues of the body.
Daily Value
It should be noted that the daily norm of this macronutrient is not exactly defined, since our body can do without it. Every day with food0.05 mg of this metal comes in, but it is passive in order to enter into chemical reactions. The substance is not synthesized on its own, although it can accumulate in organs.
Excess of zirconium in the body
Medics still do not have data on the lethal dose of this element for the human body, although its overdose can cause negative consequences. The surplus is caused by working in related industries, using personal hygiene products, or living near sources that pollute the environment.
It should be noted that the following symptoms are manifestations of an overdose: pulmonary fibrosis, pneumonia and skin irritation. Zirconium is a metal that can accumulate in organs, while settling on tissues. It is unrealistic to get such a large dose from products.
Deficiency in the body
The lack of such a macronutrient as zirconium (metal), the properties of which are described in detail in this article, will not lead to any undesirable consequences, since it is not present in cells. At the same time, research is still ongoing, and the metal can still reveal many of its qualities to us.
Sources
Zirconium is a metal that is contained in food in minimal quantities, so it cannot cause any negative consequences. The following is a list of products we can get this item with:
- mutton;
- oatmeal, rice, wheat;
- nutmeg, pistachios;
- vegetableoil;
- legumes;
- hot red pepper.
When to use?
Indications for use in the treatment of zirconium have not yet been established, although it is indispensable as an excellent material for medical instruments and implants.
This metal is used in chemical engineering as a corrosion-resistant material. Its additives deoxidize steel, and also remove sulfur and nitrogen from it. Powdered zirconium is used in the manufacture of ammunition and in pyrotechnics. Zirconium sulfate is a tanning agent that is widely used in the leather industry.
